Is fluoride dangerous?
The dose of fluoride determines whether or not it is dangerous for the body. Fluoride would only be dangerous if you ingest far too much of it. Before fluoride can have a toxic effect on the body, enormous amounts would have to be ingested.
Too much fluoride can lead to fluorosis in the body. For children under 6 years of age, the WHO (World Health Organization) prescribes a maximum value of 0.05 – 0.07 mg/kg body weight. Higher amounts can cause dental fluorosis in children, which often manifests itself in the form of white patches on the incisors.
These often remain visible for the whole life. However, they occur in almost every second child and can occur even with a little too much fluoride. However, this is not dangerous for the body. Conventional toothpastes have a fluoride content of 1450 ppm (parts per million) in adults and 500ppm in children.
What fluoride-free toothpastes are available?
There are many different suppliers of fluoride free toothpastes. Especially the well-known manufacturers of natural cosmetics like Weleda or Lavera offer a toothpaste without fluoride as an alternative to the usual toothpastes with fluorides. In every drugstore and pharmacy toothpastes without fluoride are available.
In addition to Lavera dental care and Weleda toothpaste there are for example the following: Bioemsan toothpaste, Parodontax® Classic without fluoride, Apeiron herbal toothpaste, bio dent® from Terra Natura, Himalaya® toothpastes, Logodent toothpastes for children and adults and R. O. C. S. ® for babies and children. There are many more toothpastes without fluoride. Natural cosmetic toothpastes without fluoride contain few or no chemical additives. Furthermore, many different natural ingredients can often be chosen.About appropriate contents materials one can be advised to choice of the toothpaste in the pharmacy. You should ask carefully when choosing a toothpaste without fluoride, because fluoride has a significant effect in the reduction of caries.
When should I avoid fluoride in toothpaste?
Almost everywhere in Germany, drinking water is not (no longer) fluoridated. However, if you live in regions where the water for drinking is still fluoridated, you can do without fluoride in your toothpaste. In this case the body already gets enough fluoride from the drinking water and food.
In the USA, Australia, Chile and Brazil fluoride is still added artificially to drinking water. Germany, Austria and Switzerland have abolished this. If there is fluoride in the drinking water, babies should look for an alternative, because babies under six months should not take fluoride.
If fluoridated table salt is used, if there is fluoride in the drinking water and if fluoride-containing gels are used for teeth at home, fluoride in toothpaste could be avoided. In general, however, the fluoride in toothpaste ensures better caries prevention. It is therefore advisable to avoid fluoride in toothpaste only if the daily intake of fluoride is sufficient. Since the maximum values for fluoride specified by the WHO (World Health Organization) are rarely reached, the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste without hesitation is the rule.
